He later suggested at the despatch box that Labour would not back an election until the bill was enacted.

“I can confirm we will not be voting with the Government tonight, and we will keep the focus on the task in hand, which is to ensure that we do not leave the EU without a deal, and that requires the passing and implementation of this act,” he said.

This would mean MPs voting for an election after October 19th - the date when a three month extension would be agreed if the Prime Minister has failed to agree a new deal with Brussels.

Senior Labour figures including shadow chancellor John McDonnell are said to be relaxed about allowing Mr Johnson to “limp on”.

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They believe that the PM would be politically damaged - and therefore beatable - if he was unable to deliver on his Brexit by October 31 “do or die” pledge.

The Tory party could lose Leave voters to the Brexit Party as well as Remain support to the Lib Dems.

Mr McDonnell warned Mr Johnson was an “extremely slippery customer” who could not be relied on to stick to a general election date.

“We want to get the legislation secure [with] royal assent but we are not going to be tricked or conned by Johnson, so we are looking at every way in which, having secured the legislation, that he can’t wriggle out of abiding by the law and implementing it,” he said.

“The range of options that Keir and the others are looking at include whether is it a matter of triggering an election after the royal assent and will that give us the security, so we are checking with the lawyers on that.

“Or, is it implementation and again we are checking the law on that.”

Labour MP Clive Lewis added: “The sensible thing to do will be to say, ‘OK, we’ll have a general election, but we’ll do it after we have got the extension signed and sealed at the European Council [on October 17].

“In the meantime, let the Tories stew in their own juices, and implode.”

(Image: DANNY LAWSON/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX)

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Mr Corbyn’s spokesman was asked why the Labour leader did not just wait to vote for an election to guarantee that no deal would be taken off the table and at the same time inflict damage on Mr Johnson.

He suggested that Labour expected to be able to avoid a no deal departure by winning the election.

“We’re confident the position of the Prime Minister is far more unstable in Parliament and in the country than he and his supporters seem to think,” he said.

But many Labour backbenchers do not share his optimism - believing the party’s ambiguous Brexit position could lose it votes.

One senior MP told the Mirror: “The strong & majority view is that an early election would allow Boris Johnson to pick the timing and tactics. To go now on his terms would see Labour lose - and lose badly”.

Mr Corbyn held a meeting with fellow opposition leaders this morning at which he told them he would support a general election – but only after the threat of a no-deal Brexit had been removed.

The Labour leader is also coming under pressure from the SNP , the third biggest party at Westminster, to push on with a vote.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “It’s starting to feel like Labour doesn’t want an election at all... and leaving this PM in place knowing he’ll try every trick in book to get what he wants would be irresponsible.

“Opposition must get Bill through and then seek to force election BEFORE Parliament prorogued.”

The Government will suspend Parliament until October 14th at some point early next week.

Labour MPs are expected to abstain in tonight’s vote for an election under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, which requires a two-third majority to pass.

Party officials are investigating how Parliament could be given a second chance to vote for an election next week.

They believe they can amend the motion of the fixed term parliament act to attach a date.

No 10 sources suggested they would not oppose the move.

Whitehall sources suggested it was possible the Speaker John Bercow could rule out a second election vote under the Fixed Term Parliament Act if the Government fails to win tonight, limiting future options.

But one insider said it would be “truly extraordinary” for Mr Bercow to block an election.

It came as Labour signalled it was stepping up snap election prep, with plans to announce it was shelving controversial mandatory trigger selections from next week.

An emergency meeting of the party’s NEC was also scheduled for next Monday.